Daring to dream: Davy Russell can guide Paddy Pub to victory in what is a very competitive field for the Troytown Handicap Chase

THE Troytown Handicap Chase is always one of the most competitive handicaps of the season and the testing conditions at Navan this afternoon will make this three-mile event a true test of stamina. Last month's Munster National winner Treacle, the ante-post favourite, will have plenty of supporters, as will last year's runner-up Operation Houdini, but Paddy Pub, trained by former Kilkenny hurler Kieran Purcell, is the one who makes more appeal.

Paddy Pub was third in the Munster National won by the Tom Taaffe-trained Treacle and he proved that excellent run was no fluke by scoring at the next time of asking over the same course. Now ridden by Davy Russell the six-year-old relishes soft ground and an extended trip and, as Purcell said: "The bigger the fences, the better he likes it."

Treacle's trainer, meanwhile, has had this race in mind for his progressive eight-year-old ever since Limerick and he commands obvious respect off his current mark of 130. Operation Houdini, from the Davy Fitzgerald stable, has equally sound claims.

Unlucky to be beaten by Notre Pere in last year's race, he shaped well when successful in a hurdle race over this course two weeks ago. That performance should set Operation Houdini up nicely for the return to fences here and he can be expected to go close, as should Away We Go and Tony Martin's representative Hold The Pin, but Paddy Pub is preferred.

Jockey Andrew McNamara can do little wrong at present and has a good chance of completing an opening race double through the Edward O'Grady-trained Judge Roy Bean in the Grade Two 'Monksfield' Novice Hurdle and his father's horse Drombeg Dawn in the Athlumney 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle.

Judge Roy Bean has shown much improved form to win his last two races over hurdles and, with the longer trip likely to suit, can successfully concede weight to his two main rivals Darceys Dancer and Ruby Walsh's mount For The Staff.

Point-to-point and bumper winner For Bill has looked to be a good-class mare in winning her three outings to date and should be capable of taking the honours in the listed ITBA Fillies Scheme EBF (Pro/Am) Flat Race at the main expense of Carrie Bradshaw and Killultagh Queen in what should turn out to be a thrilling race.